1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of jewelry and in particular to earrings. More particularly, the present invention to relates to enhancements of hoop earring designs.
2. Description of Related Art
Hoop earrings have been in use throughout history in various cultures of the world. Hoop earrings of gold, silver, and bronze have been found in ancient graves in Crete, dating to about 2000 B.C. Although burying jewels along with the dead was customary at the time, the everyday use of earrings has been well documented, too, thanks to enduring images on coins, vase paintings, and terra-cotta figures.
Today, hoop earrings are available in a variety of styles that include hoops of various sizes and thickness of the hoop material, or hoops enhanced by the addition of one or more precious or semi-precious stones, set in the outer surface of hoop. There are also styles of hoop earrings in which various attachments may hang from the bottom or lower part of the hoop to dangle below the earring, for example. Additionally, various designs may be engraved into the surface of the hoop, or the hoop may incorporate designs such as hearts or crosses within the hoop structure.
In spite of the enhancements over the millennia, the hoop earring has remained basically an empty hoop, and no effective way has been found to add interest and beauty to the center of the hoop earring. This problem is exacerbated by the necessity to attach the hoop to the ear lobe, typically directly or substantially directly above the center of the hoop so that the hoop dangles directly below the ear lobe. One attempt to address the problem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,481, in which a monofilament is stretched horizontally across the opening of the hoop and various ornaments may then be attached to the wire to hang within the hoop. The '481 patent discloses that various ornaments such as a girl on a swing or animal figures may be attached to the filament in such a way that the attached ornament would swing within the earring by twisting the filament. Unfortunately, the '481 patent does not describe a way to provide easily interchangeable ornaments to an earring because it appears the ornaments are permanently crimped onto the filament. Additionally, there appears to be no way the described device could be used to present a precious stone setting or other decorative element dangling within the center of the hoop.